I definitely agree! for such an amazing drink, and all the hundreds of flavours and infusions…..its as if you hear nothing about it… Congratz on converting some, I’ve structured my business on converting people….take a listen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry1fK25Ij00

This is a very well made piece. It can be very effective at promoting tea among the young generation, as well as those forever young in hearts :-) We do need something like this, since for a long time, some people related tea to this stereotypes that are not so energetic and not so hip.

I think it’s very smart to promote tea not only among tea drinkers but also various businesses that can potentially use tea to communicate with their customers. Also I like the idea behind it, cooperation and win-win.

I myself am the old-school, bookworm and low-tech type. History and cultural aspect of tea is a big part of my tea appreciation. But I don’t think it has to be part of anybody’s tea appreciation. I think Daniel’s approach is very cool. Besides, no matter what tea drinking styles people have, everybody loves good music and good conversations!

I mean T as in Tea…but I like to spell it " T " just to promote my company as I converse. My spelling actually sparked from this thought….I look at the “tea” industry and for such an amazing beverage,many companies complicate the beverage with the overload of history & Culture which as a result turn possible tea drinkers away from it. I decided to simplify tea making it ahelthy,cool beverage anybody can enjoy…. giving us “T”

Is it really possible to share too much history and culture? After all, tea is rooted in appreciating beauty, and has inspired an entire culture within itself. (Like this forum). I would say that tea culture should be promoted and shared to give people a more humble understanding of the farmers and the growing regions responsible for bringing us the leaf. However, I do see that many people do this in a snobby or intimidating way, or over-exoticize the tea regions. That should be avoided, mostly because it does a disservice to the culture. My experience is that people always enjoy drinking tea more at a tasting when they can really engage with the tea on a cultural level. Any other thoughts from tea drinkers out there?

David, I resemble your criticism, er wait I mean resent, or wait maybe I do, ah never mind. I do however very much agree that history and culture is very much an important part of drinking tea. This is a drink that has been around a very long time its been vital in economics, religion and politics, been used to promote peace and has started and ended wars.

While I don’t think everyone needs to study an depth background biography on tea, I do find that knowledge, even a small amount, does help to enhance appreciation. And their are many practical things that can be learned, English tea parties convey, style, hospitality, poise, grace, and good manners. Chinese tea ceremonies teach humility, social skills, equality and consideration.

Learning where are tea comes from makes us more appreciative, and a little less like stuck up snobby Americans that Teava … um other establishments train us to be.

I agree that tea should appeal to the public and bring in a wider range of people, but not because of what tea tastes like or any health benefits but rather what tea can teach them. To illustrate:

I’ve had people over before and they wanted a cup of tea, so off I went to the kitchen, carefully prepared it for them ( out of there sight) and brought it back. What did I get? No appreciation. On the other hand whenever I perform the gongfu tea ceremony, people are engaged, delighted, enjoying themselves all the while they learn something and enjoy a fantastic cup of tea. They almost always come back to me to ask questions, and where they can find better teas to enjoy. I find this far more effective in spreading appreciation for tea.

If anything I think the problem and the turnoff for tea is that is seems to be promoted to much in a commercial aspect. “Hey you, you should drink tea its good for you, buy mine.” Don’t get me wrong I appreciate our tea vendors selling can get carried away sometimes, I think there is another current thread that highlights that.

Looking at Teavana’s mission statement their focus is on selling fun, healthy teas, focusing heavily on what you can derive physically from the tea rather than what it can teach you, I think that this should be avoided.

I know there are other thoughts and opinions that differ from mine and hope that they surface, but keep this in mind, nobody is more long-winded than I. :)

‘T’ is a fine enough name for a company, but let it end there. Personally I tend to find it a turn off when people consequently refuse to user proper spelling… Not just this example here; I’ve also seen people around who seem to be incapable of spelling the short and simple word ‘with’. The consequent usage of abbreviations just makes me think that the writer is lazy.

I find the history and culture aspect to be one of the interesting things about tea as a topic, and ignoring it to the point of refusing to actually write out the word strikes me as arrogant and pretentious rather than modern.

To be brutally honest, it would make me less interested in trying out a company. Far better to strive towards telling the history and culture bits in a non-dramatised and truthful way than to completely ignore them and pretend it’s not important. And that goes for all things, not just the topic of tea. There’s a reason children are being taught history in school, and it’s not just to fill out the time table.

Secondarily, even if you meant in your original question, ‘is tea promoted enough?’, when you substitute your company’s name for the word in general like that, people will read your question like ‘is my company promoted enough?’ It creates confusion.

But that’s just me. I prefer proper spelling over hip-ness. It helps me take people seriously.

Well I think it’s a dilemma. Absolutely people would like to see more high-quality tea, but many tea drinkers wouldn’t like to see rapid commercialization of tea trade.

For several times, when I was with small groups of drinkers who are particularly interested in a special but not popular tea, I heard people saying, “let’s keep it within ourselves… don’t make the tea famous and expensive…” It’s like the numerous unmarked trails in Grand Canyon. On one hand, it’s a good thing more people know and care about the natural beauty of the Canyon. On the other hand, it’s also a good thing to keep many trails less known, so that only people who care to explore can find them and they are not exposed to any big market with hot money.

Other than an occasional Lipton commercial (and I can’t recall the last one of those I have seen) I can’t think of a single tea promotion example except on the vendors websites and you have to know about them to find them. The grocer’s shelves are all the advertising most of us ever see.

As for history and culture – well it is a little interesting if you care, but lets face it who really cares about the history of Coke or Pepsi? We tend to buy the hype and as long as we like the taste we will buy it again.

Most folks on this site will be inclined to disagree with me but that is because you are inside the culture.

Well I can definitely see that many of you have taken my topic and opinion in an offensive manner, to the point of correcting my spelling and referring to me as ignorant. All in all this more proves my point than anything, some of you are so “stuck” in the history and culture of things that you refuse to introduce new ideas, and cultures. Culture had to be created, embraced, and practiced to become what it is, so explain to me why advertising T in a new fashion and fun, modern way can’t be the start of a"NEW CULTURE" . At no point did I say “away with the history of T” The history is what helps us build our present to change our future. Like any business you’ll have likes and dislikes. I will never try to convert those who see my marketing as ignorant and lazy. Instead, I thank you for your opinion, and in good faith I hope to have a cup of T with you one day :)

However, when examining your responses please consider the how the tin can and string must feel now that we have black berry’s and iphones, please consider how the mail man must feel now that we have email. Please consider how horses must feel , now that we have ferrari’s.

Some might say these examples are foolish. Maybe so, but it’s no more foolish than pretending that the only way to evolves by living in the past.

Wow. So I’m at the ripe old age of 26 and to be quite honest, I agree with everything Angrboda said. If that makes me old fashioned, so be it. But I do know I was interested in your company until I came across this thread.

I don’t have issues with new ideas. I do, however have issues with new ideas that don’t actually add anything to the culture and instead detract from it.

So leave me in the corner so I can use my tin can and string to call my mail man and see if I can borrow his horse, because if this is the “new culture” of tea, I want no part of it. But I seriously doubt that, ah, “T” is the future of tea.

I hate to be all “forum police-y”, but this is just a point outlined in the discussion guidelines:
8) If you’re a tea company, please do not start new forum topics about your products or promotions. Feel free to post replies where relevant, but anything overly self-promotional will be removed. Also, don’t rate your own teas because of the (obvious) conflict of interest. It’s misleading and everyone will figure it out anyways – you’ll turn away the very customers you’re trying to attract.

All opinions are welcome…this is just my opinion. I think tea could use more promotion from people who aren’t Teavana. T, however…well, it won’t be getting any promotion from me.

And please, at least be honest. This is obviously a promotion for your company.